The Deji and Paramount Ruler of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi on Friday ordered foodstuffs sellers in Akure and its environs in Ondo State to immediately cut down the high cost of foodstuffs or risk their shops being shut down.

This follows recent markets’ survey of some foodstuffs like rice, palm oil, groundnut oil, garri among others across major communities like Osogbo, Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Ile-Ife, Ilesha, Ado-Ekiti, and Lagos in the south west.

The monarch said he found out that the prices obtained in the aforementioned are at variance with what is sold in Akure.

According to Deji, who spoke in a statement issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Michael Adeyeye, the prices of rice, garri, palm oil were too exorbitant when compared with other cities.

He added that it makes it almost the highest in the whole of south-west.

The Deji ordered a slash in prices of these commodities at his palace after an exhaustive meeting with the leadership of the various groups of foodstuff sellers in Akure.

“It is so sad that the prices of commodities had been unnecessarily hiked in Akure with no justifiable reason. This is unfair and totally unacceptable.

“Considering the present economic hardship in the country, we cannot continue to watch our people die in hunger and pains due to needless hike in price of the basic need of life which is food”, the monarch stressed

He said that with the market survey carried out by the palace, it is glaring that the situation in Akure is becoming unbearable for families and things may go worse if not quickly tackled.

He added “I wondered why a bag of rice will be sold for between N21,000 and N23,000, 20 litres of palm oil now sells for between N20,000 and N21,500, a rubber of garri now sells for N200, when other communities sells for N16,000, N10,000 and N100 respectively in other towns”.

He, however, directed that the price of rice which is being sold at an average of N21, 000 be reduced to N19, 000.

The monarch also gave palm oil and garri sellers in Akure, one week to revert the prices of their commodities.